Mediterranean Cooking from the Garden with Linda Dalal Sawaya—Ameh, traditional wheat berry porridge to welcome the New Year!
iced rose hips and primrose blooming in the snow! © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Happy New Year! Kul sinne wa intu salmine! (which means in Arabic something like “May every year be safe and healthy for you” and is the typical Arabic New Year’s greeting to friends and family.
ameh with walnuts and sultanas © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Ameh is the Lebanese traditional food for ringing in the New Year. This hot porridge of whole wheat berries simmered with whole anise seeds for a couple of hours until tender, tastes best when sweetened with sugar, honey, or agave syrup, and sprinkled with walnuts and raisins. This cereal is also enjoyed to celebrate the birth of a new baby. Very auspicious, indeed!
ameh made with soft white wheat berries, garnished with walnuts and plump raisins © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Cold winter nights, by the fire—yes, even in my hometown of Los Angeles—accompanied by a bowl of ‘amah warms the spirit and the soul. And at this moment where I live in Portland, with snow and freezing rain, this traditional mountain dish warms us from the inside out. Anise, also called aniseed, is a sweet and aromatic native of the Eastern Mediterranean, and naturally is used to season many foods, such as this one. Anise is also the primary taste ingredient in the ubiquitous alcoholic beverage arak, in Arabic, ouzo in Greek, and raki in Turkish. My beloved Sitto loved making shai yensoon, anise tea; this is said to be given to nursing mothers.
yensoon anise seeds © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Wheat berries in the United States come in varying types: winter and spring, hard and soft, red and white. Most probably, I’ve used any one of these to make ameh, and it’s come out fine. What I have learned is that hard white wheat has more gluten than hard red wheat. Red wheat is higher in protein. I imagine soft white wheat might be the fastest cooking, but as I’ve said, use whichever variety you can find, and of course purchase organic wheat. If you are gluten intolerant, this is not for you. Wheat berries are high in fiber, low in calories, rich in vitamins, minerals, and phyto-chemicals. Wheat is native to the Middle East, first originating in the Fertile Crescent; so this simple wheat berry porridge most likely has ancient roots in our region.
iced spirea plant © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Because my weekly column is focused on my organic garden, which now is frozen over, I continue to share what’s happening out there, as we move into deep winter. Amazingly, a few hearty plants are persevering and still showing signs of life! Italian parsley and cilantro even have some harvestable leaves, while the Italian fennel does not look like it will recover. The hardy arugula looks amazing after being covered in a sheet of snow and ice. Lettuce is iffy.
my garden Italian parsley, cilantro, and fennel in the snow © linda dalal sawaya 2016
hardy arugula and unhappy lettuce © linda dalal sawaya 2016
My fava bean plants that I planned to overwinter, are history. Two chard plants—one red and one green—look as if there’s hope.
red and green chard in the snow © linda dalal sawaya 2016
This Japanese purple mustard continues to thrive and reseed itself years after planting, and it seems to not mind the snow. Lacinato kale looks sad, but certainly could be added to lentil soup at the last minute. It’s already wilted!
Japanese purple mustard and lacinato kale after freezing rain © linda dalal sawaya 2016
Ameh means wheat in Arabic, but traditional American hot cereals do not compare with this brothy blend of whole wheat berries, perfumed with anise seeds (aniseed, yensoon). It can be a nutritious winter evening dessert, with the leftovers easily heated for a quick, hearty breakfast. Our family loved it in winter as we sat cozily by the fire in the den telling stories or playing basra—a card game my Sitto (grandmother) taught us. Our Melkite church in Los Angeles, founded by my father’s uncle Fr. Gerasimos Sawaya 100 years ago, served it already sweetened in paper cups with nuts at Easter and at memorial Masses—a tradition going back to ancient Egyptian mourning rites. Symbolizing the resurrection of the dead as well as spring renewal and growth, it is also served to celebrate births, New Year’s Day, and the fall feast of St. Barbara, which coincides with Halloween and All Saints Day, so some folks even call it barbara.
Ameh is very easy to make and the consistency can vary from as dry as steamed rice to a soupy broth—terrific any where in-between. Sweetener, nuts and raisins added after cooking by each person to their liking, provide a protein-rich combination plus iron, while the aniseeds impart unique flavor and help digestion. Pine nuts, almonds, or pistachio nuts may be used for garnish instead of or along with walnuts. Pomegranate seeds add a colorful and tart garnish.
To make ameh, boil 1 1/2 cups whole wheat berries in 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon anise seeds for about 5 minutes in a covered pot. Lower heat to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until wheat berries are soft; check occasionally and add more water as needed. When wheat berries are fully cooked and tender, serve in bowls with cooking broth. Serve with sugar, honey, agave syrup, or your sweetener of choice, with walnut pieces and raisins. For more details and more recipes, of course, go to Alice’s Kitchen! Enjoy!
Sahtein! and blessings to you and yours in the New Year!
—Linda Dalal Sawaya is a Portland artist, cook, Master Gardener, daughter of Lebanese immigrants, and author of Alice’s Kitchen: Traditional Lebanese Cooking
Remember, as my mother Alice said, “If you make it with love, it will be delicious!”
story and all photos © linda dalal sawaya 2016